I generally don’t buy into the whole “slippery slope” theory of life. You know the theory, where people are afraid that if we “let” gay people get married, then before you know it, people will be marrying their turtles, their horses, their coffee makers or their jobs…wait, scratch that last one. These are the same folks who will tell you that if we put any kind of regulation on gun sales and ownership then the next inevitable step is that the government will take away all of our guns, impeding our ability to defend ourselves against F-16’s, artillery, tanks and submarines…because you just have to know where to aim your .44 to take out the tank rolling down the street or the Stealth Bomber flying overhead, right?
This week however, I read a story that’s now everywhere that made me cringe and immediately think, “oh boy! that’s a slippery slope!”
Michael Jefferies, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch has gone public with his belief that he doesn’t want overweight or ugly people wearing his product line. The store does not sell items over a certain size for women because he doesn’t want any “fat chicks” who “aren’t cool” as walking advertisements – and as we all know, fat = uncool, right? They do sell some larger sizes for boys because, well, football players are cool.
This blatant exclusionary policy is frightening to me. I’m sure in his world, I’m sure that neither Brooke nor Katie would not qualify to wear his brand. Ultimately, the whole “you’re not cool enough” to be seen in our clothes is really sad more than anything else. Seems to me that Michael Jefferies may be trying to make up for a rough childhood maybe? Perhaps Jefferies felt the sting of exclusion as a kid and now is doing whatever he can to surround himself with the very people who rejected him in high school? I don’t know. Maybe not, but I will say this to Jefferies – watch out for that slippery slope man. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You look like a first year medical student did your facelift with a hatchet…not exactly the face of someone a company that pushes young, beautiful and thin would want as their CEO. How long before they realize YOU don’t fit into your own policy of young, thin and beautiful? You don’t even fit into one of those categories. It’s a slippery slope dude…just sayin’.
It’s a slippery slope dude…at least I hope it is.
Run Luau Run 
I KNEW IT!!! My husband LOVES A&F; and he is ALWAYS trying to find something to fit me in there… well, those of us ladies who are rather ‘well blessed’ with not FAT, but CURVES, do not fit in their stick figure clothing… I just knew they had it against us; but that is fine… trust me! Just frustrating, that girls like my daughter are having an image shoved in their face and telling them that if they don’t fit it, then they are not as ‘worthy’ as anyone else… SO FRUSTRATING!!! (end rant) 🙂
It really is too bad and very sad. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (he doesn’t see well btw). I wouldn’t wear those clothes even if I was a skeleton. Have you walked by there? The music is just rattles any common sense you might have had when you walk in and the perfume is so thick you don’t need to buy it to wear it. Of course, my daughter at 12 thought this store was ‘cool’. That beautiful kid with braces, acne and two left feet is now a six foot tall ballet dancer, model with boobs! Those clothes don’t fit her now nor would she stoop to contribute to the idea of ever going there again…..like I said beautiful is in the eye of the beholder. Shame on you old ugly man.
Wow! Unbelievable! That’s all I’ve got…. Unbelievable!
A&F was already scheduled to close over 180 of its US stores in the next two years due to poor performance. Clearly the “cool” kids is a much smaller demographic than he realized. Exclusionary, bullying tactics are never a good business model. Not to mention thin and built like a coat hanger is not the equivalent to beautiful. Beauty always starts from within.
I saw that article and was like WOW. When I was in high school A&F was the cool thing to wear but the prices were far from cool so I never had much of it (only things I found on clearance or even at Goodwill). My sister used to be obsessed with it and my parents hated it. They got luckier with me because I was like WHATEVER. I didn’t care where I got my clothes (I still LOVE goodwill and thrift shops) as long as I liked how it looked on me! This article really made me hate A&F though. That’s not a slippery slope thats just something you don’t say. I don’t care who you are. If you are CEO or anyone of any moral substance…that is NO WAY to talk about people. I’ll be the first to admitt I don’t have a ton of sympathy for those who are obese or overweight. Get off your ass and do something and cut the crap out of your diet (I hate when they blame their condition on other people or other things…) BUT I don’t believe in making them HAVE to buy clothes at other stores, or being rude or mean to them. It’s not necessary. It’s their choice. But you don’t get the choice to be an Asshat to them. Be nice to everyone, they never did anything wrong to you!
As a CEO he is unbelievablley inarticulate. Every clothing brand has a target market and they have every right to appeal to that market.
Is it discriminitory that I can’t find a shirt at Victoria’s Secret? Is it discriminitory that I can’t afford to buy a watch at Alpha & Omega? No. Those stores are not looking for my demographic, and I do not find that offensive.
The guy does look like he was hit by the shovel that will bury his career. And just like the CEO of BP, he is good at saying stupid things.
As consumers we get to vote with our dollars. Let’s see how this vote count goes.
we are in full agreement…goes to show how important “how we say something” is.
Considering how bloody nasty he looks ,I really have to wonder at his definition of cool?
I was thinking the same thing… Who is HE to judge who is “cool” or not??? Can you saw Botox gone wrong??? This guy makes me so sick… It’s one thing to target a certain “demographic”, it’s another to publicly humilate them!